Where Is Your Focus During A Sale?

When I was in school I was a musician.  I played A LOT and in many different types of groups.  When I played, I was in the moment – playing what needed to be played and focused on what was going on around me – and I generally didn’t have time to stress over a missed note or something like that.  And it was that focus on the moment that really made the difference.  In music you aren’t worried about the “other team” or someone else “winning”.  If just about everyone plays well, the piece will sound good.

So when you are trying to make a sale, where is your focus?  Is it on the moment and your customer, or are you thinking about your sales goals and quotas and what it means if you blow this sale like you did the one yesterday?  Those are things in the past and the future – not the moment. Those are things that will tank a sale.

How do you stay in the moment?  Start by telling yourself to do it.  Sounds silly – but before a meeting or a phone call, make sure distractions are removed and you can stay focused.  Tell yourself that if you stay in the moment you WILL close the sale.  And then, DO IT.  If you find your mind wandering or you start thinking – or heaven forbid talking about – your goals or your need for the sale, STOP IT.  Seriously, if you think I’m kidding, a guy told me this week that if I didn’t buy his product his kids wouldn’t eat.  I chose to laugh and moved on.  The client I was representing didn’t need his product and it isn’t our responsibility to help him better manage his money.

If you find yourself thinking “I”, “ME”, or “MINE” you are thinking about you and not them.  If you find yourself speaking more than just to ask a question, you are thinking about you and not them. And the worst one, if you find yourself waiting your turn to talk, you are definitely thinking about you and not them.

Focus on the other person will get you a lot further in your sales process than anything else. Because you are focused, you will hear the real objections, get a chance to answer them based on what the person needs, and help determine if you have the right solution for the customer. You’ll get your turn – just as soon as you are a customer of someone else!